1-dehydro-6-fluoro-11-oxygenated progesterones



. United States Patent 3,004,044 l-DEHYDRO-fi-FLUOROJl-OXYGENATED PROGESTERONES J Allan Campbell, Kalamazoo, John C. Babcock, Portage Township, Kalamazoo County, and John A. H'Ogg, Kalamazoo, Mich, assignors to The Upjohn Company, Kalamazoo, Mich, a corporation of Michigan No Drawing. Filed June 9, 1958, Ser. No. 740,569

10 Claims. (Cl; 260-3073)- This invention relates to-novel Ga-iluoro and 6/3-fluoro steroid compounds. It relates more particularly in their on and 65 epimer form to l-dehydro-S-fiuoro-l1fi-hy droxyprogesterone (6-il'uoro -l l,H-hydroxy-1,4-pregnadiene- 3,20-dicne), l-dehydro-6-fiuorollu-hydroxyprogeste-rone (o-iluoro-llu-hydroxy-l, -pregnadiene-3,20-dione), and l-dehydro-G-fiuoro-l l-ketoprogesterone (6-iluoro-l,4-pregnadiene-3,1l,20-trione) and to processes for the production thereof.

This application is a continuation inpart of copcnding application Serial No. 699,503, filed November 29, 1957, now Patent No. 2,838,501 issued June 10,, 1958.

The new compounds and the process of the present invention are illustratively represented by the following formulae:

CH2. CH2- lllHs CH3 (3&0 +20 wherein X is selected from the group consisting of the carbonyl radical C=G), the p-hydroxymethylene radical or the a-hydroxymethylene radical valuable domestic animals, as well as contact dermatitis and other allergic reactions.

Compositions containing the compounds of the present invention can be prepared for human or animal use by 3,004,044 Patented Oct. 10, 1961 incorporating them in" any one of the several dosage forms suitable for such use. Arlm n stratiouzqfi he-na steroidsv thus can be. in conventional dosage forms, such asv pills, tablets, capsules, solutions, syrups or; elixirs for oral use, or in liquid forms which are adaptable to the natural and synthetic cortical steroid hormones; for injectable products.v The novel compounds can also be administered topically in the form of ointments, Creams, lotions, and) the like, with orwithout coacting antibiotics, germicides, or other materials; forming advantageous combinations therewith.

The starting materials. for the present invention are 6u-fluoro-ll'fi-hydroxyprogesterone, GB-fiuoro-llfihydroxyprogesterone, 6u-fiuoro lla-hydroxyprogesterouc, 6' 8-fi'uoro-l'la-hydroxyprogesterone, 6a-fluoro-11-ketopro} gesterone and GB-fluQro-l l-ketoprogesterone. These starting materials can be prepared in accordance with the process disclosed in copending application Serial No. 699,503, filed November 29, 1957.

According to the process of the present invention, dehydrogenation of the selected G-fluoro-ll-oxygehated progesterone to obtain the N-analogue thereof is carried out either by fermentative or chemical dehydrogenation. Microorganisms such as Septomyxa, Corynebacterium, Fusarium, and the like, are used under fermentation conditions well known in the art (e.'g-., US. 2,602,769) and furthermore illustrated by Examples 1 through 6' herein. The chemical dehydrogenation can be carried out with selenium dioxide according to procedures well known in the art and illustrated in detail by Example 7. I

Illustrative of the compounds thus produced are l-dehydro-6u-fiuoro-1lp-hydroxyprogesterone, l-dehydro-Gflfluoro-llfl-hydroxyprogesterone, 1 -del 1ydro-6u-fiuoro- 1lahydroxyprogesterone, l-dehydro-Qfi-fluoro-llu-hydroxyprogesterone, l-dehydro-fi fluoro-ll-ketoprogesterope, and l-dehydrofi-fluoro-l l-ketoprogesterone. 'lfhe l-dehydro-GB-fiuoro compounds, for example, l-dehydro-Gflfluoro-llfi-hydroxyprogesterone, are obtained when the corresponding 6 3-fiuoro starting steroid, for example, fi-fluoro-llfi-hydroxyprogesterone, is subjected to dehydrogenation under near neutral reaction conditions.

The l-dehydro-6fi-fluoro-llp-hydroxyprogesterone, l-dehydro-6,3-fluoro-1lwhydroxyprogesterone, and l-dehydro- 6fi-fluoro-ll-ketoprogesterone thus obtained can be converted by epimerigation to 1 -dehydro-6u-fluoro-1lfi-hydroxyprogesterone, L-dehydro-Ga-fluoro-l lq-hydroxyprogesterone, and l-dehydro-6a-fiuoro-ll-ketoprogesterone,

respectively. Conversion of the selected 6 3-epimer to the 6u-epimer can be accomplished by treatment at temperatures of zero degrees centigrade, or slightly higher or lower temperatures in an organic solvent, such as chloroform, methylene chloride, ether, and the like, and in the presence of a prototropic agent (proton-donating reagent) such as alcohols, organic acids, and the like,

with a hydrogen halide, such as hydrogen chloride gas, The mixture should be maintained at temperatures near zero degrees centigrade, although slightly higheror lower temperatures can be used, during the addition of the'acid. The reaction mixture can then be washed with s ucce'ssi ve portions of dilute alkali and water, and then dried and evaporated under reduced pressure. [The 6a-fluoro'product can be recovered from the crude reaction product and purified by recrystallization.

Alternatively, the epimerization can be accomplished with alkali. Bases, for example, solutions of sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide, may be used to treat the 6,8-epimer in solution in an organic solvent, suehj' as I methanol, to produce the Ga-epimer.

The following examples are illustrative of the and p u ts of the present in ention. ut are .luct .101.

construed as limiting.

-decanol) 'for a period of three days.

Five IUD-milliliter portions of a medium, in 250-milli liter Erlenmeyer flasks, containing one percent glucose, 'two percent corn steep liquor (sixty percent solids) and 'tap water, are adjusted to a pH of 4.9. This medium is 'sterilized for 45 minutes atfifteen pounds per square inch pressure and inoculated with a one to two day vegetative growth of Septomyxa aflinis A.T.C.C 6737. The Erlenmeyer flasks are shaken'at room temperature (about 26 to 28 degrees centigrade) for a period of three days. end of this period this SOC-milliliter volume is used as an inoculum for ten liters of the same glucose-corn steep liquor mediumwhich in addition contains five milliliters of an antifoam compound (a mixture of lard oil and octation carried out at the same temperature (28 degrees centigrade) and aeration for a period of 24 hours (final pH .83). The mycelium isfiltered off and extracted with The beer is ex- 1 'tracted with threerone-liter portions of methylene chlo- -ride and thereupon the acetone and the extracts of the three ZOO-milliliter portions of acetone.

beer are combined, dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and evaporated and the resulting residue chromatographed At the I liter portions of methylene chloride and thereupon the acetone extracts and the extracts of the beer are combined, dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and evaporated and the resulting residue chromatographed over a Florisil anhydrous magnesium silicate column. The column is packed with 100 grams of Florisil and is developed with ZOO-milliliter fractions each of Skellysolvc B hexane-acetone mixtures of 9: 1, 8:2, 7:3 and 1:1. The crystalline material which is obtained from the Skellysolve B 'hexanes-acetone elutions (9:1 and 8:2) is recrystallized from Skellysolve B hexanes-acetone to give 60:- fluoro-lla-hydroxy-1,4-pregnadiene-3,ZO-dione, a crystalline solid.

The fermentor is placed into the'Water-bath,

over a Florisil anhydrous magnesium silicate column.

The fraction eluted with Skelly- Septomyxa, species of other genera such as Corynebacterium, Didymella, Calonectria, Alternaria, Colletotrichum, Cylindrocarpon, Ophiobolus, Fusarium, Listeria, Erysipelothrix, Mycobacterium, tricothecium, Leptosphaeria, Cu-

curbitaria, Nocardia and enzymes of fungi of the family Tuberculariaceae can be used to introduce a A -bond into EXAMPLE 2 I-dehydro-fia-fluorod I a-hydroxyprogestemne (6 a-fluoro-I 1 m-hydraxy-l ,4-pregnadiene-3,20-dione) Five IOU-milliliter portions of a medium, in ZSO-milliliter Erlenmeyer flasks, containing one percent glucose, 3

two percent corn steep liquor (sixty percent solids) and tap water, are adjusted to a pH of 4.9. This medium is sterilized for 45 minutes at fifteen pounds per square inch pressure and inoculated with spores of Septomyxa affinis A.T.C.C. 6737. The Erlenmeyer flasks are shaken at room temperature (about 26 to 28 degrees centigrade) At the end of this period this 500-milliliter volume is used as an inoculum for ten liters of the same glucose-corn steep liquor medium which in addition contains five milliliters of an antifoam comr pound (a mixture of lard oil and octadecanol). mentor is placed into the water-bath, adjusted to 28 de- The fer- Species of the other organisms named in Example 1 can be used to introduce a A -bond into 6e-fluoro-11a-hydroxyprogesterone.

' EXAMPLE 3 l-dehydro-oarfluora-l 1 ketoprogesterone (6 a-fluoro- 1.,4-pregnadiene-3J1,20-trione) Five 100-milliliter portions of a medium, in ZSO-milliliter Erlenmeyer flasks, containing one percent glucose, two percent corn steep liquor (sixty percent solids) and tap water, are adjusted to a pH of 4.9. This medium is sterilized for 45 minutes at fifteen pounds per square inch pressure and inoculated with a two day vegetative growth of Septomyxa afiinis A.T.C.C. 6737. The Erlenmeyer flasks are shaken at room temperature (about 26 to 28 degrees centigrade) for a period of three days. At the end of this period this SOD-milliliter volume is used as an inoculnm for five liters of the same glucose-corn steep liquor medium which in addition contains five milliliters of an antifoam compound (a mixture of lard oil and octadecanol). The fermenter is placed into the water-bath, adjusted to 28 degrees centigrade and the contents stirred (300 r.p.m.) and aerated (0.1 liter of air per minute to ten liters of beer). After twenty hours of incubation, when a good growth has been developed, one gram of 60:- fluoro-ll-ketoprogesterone plus one half gram of 3-ketobisnor-4-cholen-22-al dissolved in sixteen milliliters of dimethylformamide is added and the incubation carried out at the same temperature (28 degrees centigrade) and aeration for a period of 24 hours (final pH 8.3). The mycelium is filtered ofl and extracted with three ZOO-milliliter portions of acetone. The beer is extracted with three one-liter portions of methylene chloride and thereupon the acetone extracts and the extracts of the beer are combined, dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and evaporated and the resulting residue chromatographed over a Florisil anhydrous magnesium silicate column. The column is packed with 100 grams of Florisil synthetic magnesium silicate and is developed with ZOO-milliliter fractions each of Skellysolve B hexane-acetone mixtures of 9:1, 8:2, 7:3 and 1:1. The fraction eluted with Skellysolve B hexaneacetone (9:1) is twice recrystallized from acetone-Skellysolve B hexanes to give l-dehydro-6a-fluoro-ll-ketoprogesterone, a crystalline solid.

Instead of Septomyxa, species of other genera named in Example 1 can be used to introduce a A -bond into 6::- fluoro-l l-ketoprogesterone.

EXAMPLE 4 1 1 ,B-hydroxy-I ,4-pregnadiene-3,20-dione) droxyprogesterone (6B fluoro-l lfl-hydroxy-lA-pregnadiene-3,20-dione), a crystalline solid.

EXAMPLE 5 1-dehydro-6p-fluoro-1Jmhydroxyprogesterone (tip-fluorofor a period of 24 hours (final pH 8.3).. The myceliumv 'is'filter'ed off and extracted with three ZOO-millilit'er'portions of acetone. The beer is extracted'with th'r'e'e orie- 1 -a-hydroxy-I ,4-pregnadien e-3,20-di0ne) Substituting 6fi-fluoro-lla-hydroxyprogesterone for 6afluoro-i l'u-hydroxyprogesterone and following the procedure of Example 2 produces crystalline 1-dehydro-6efluoro-l lot-hydroxyprogesterone 6fi-fluoro-l 1a-hydroxyl,4-pregnadiene-3,20-dione) EXAMPLE 6 Substituting 6fl-fiuoro-ll-ketoprogesterone for 6afiuoro-ll-ketoprogesterone and following the procedure of Example 3 produces crystals of l-dehydro-de-fluoro ll-ketoprogesterone (6,B-iluoro-1,4-pregnadiene 3,11,20- trione).

EXAMPLE 7 A solution of 0.5 gram of ooz-fluoro-ll-ketoprogesterone, 0.5 gram of selenium dioxide, 50 milliliters of tertiary 'butyl alcohol and 1.5 milliliters of acetic acid was heated at reflux in a nitrogen atmosphere for seven hours. Most of the solvent was evaporated under a fast stream of nitrogen. The concentrate thus obtained wa diluted with methylene chloride and filtered. The filtrate was washed twice with dilute sodium hydroxide solution, dilute hydrochloric acid and water, and then dried over magnesium sulfate and concentrated by evaporation under a stream of nitrogen. The crude product was chromatographed through a 100 gram Florisil synthetic magnesium silicate column. The column was eluted with successive 500 milliliter volumes of six percent, eight percent, ten percent and twelve percent acetone in Skellysolve B hexanes, followed by one liter of fourteen percent acetone in Skellysolve B hexanes. The eluates were collected in 250 milliliter fractions as follows:

Fractions 1-2 Skellysolve B hexanes plus six percent acetone Fractions 34 Skellysolve B hexanes plus eight percent acetone Fractions 5-6 Skellysolve B hexanes plus ten percent acetone Fractions 7-8 Skellysolve B hexanes plus twelve percent acetone Fractions 9-12 Skellysolve B hexanes plus fourteen percent acetone Fractions 8-11 containing the desired product contaminated with starting material were evaporated to dryness. The crude product was dissolved in about three milliliters of boiling methanol and 0.2 milliliter of pyrrolidine was added. The solution was boiled under nitrogen for one minute to convert the contaminating starting material to its enamine. The solution was chilled, diluted with methylene chloride and washed with iced 3 N hydrochloric acid and water, dried over magnesium sulfate and filtered. The solution was concentrated to about five milliliters and chromatographed through a fifty gram Florisil synthetic magnesium silicate column. The column was eluted successively with 300 milliliter volumes of four percent, six percent, ten percent and twelve percent acetone in Skellysolve B hexanes followed by 600 milliliters of fourteen percent acetone in Skellysolve B hex anes. The eluates were collected in 150 milliliter fractions as follows:

Fractions 1-2 Skellysolve B hexanes plus four percent acetone Fractions 34 Skellysolve B hexanes plus six percent acetone Fractions 5-6 Skellysolve B hexanes plus ten percent acetone Fractions 7-8 Skellysolve B hexanes plus twelve percent acetone Fractions 9-12 Skellysolve B hexanes plus fourteen percent acetone Fractions 8-11 were concentrated to dryness and the residues obtained were combined and recrystallized twice from acetoneSkellysolve B hexanes to yield 16.8. milligrams of l-dehydro-fia-fiuoro-ll-ketoprogesterone having a melting point of 193 to 199 degrees centigrade, [al plus 200 degrees in chloroform, and

EXAMPLE 8 lsomerization of 1-dehydr0-6fl-fluoro-1Ifi-hydroxyprogesterone to 1 -dehydro-6 u-fluorro-l 1 B-hydraxy progesterone A solution of 0.15 gram of l-dehydro-6fi-fluoro-llflhydroxyprogesterone (from Example 4) in twelve milliliters of chloroform and 0.1 milliliter of absolute alcohol is cooled to near zero degrees centigrade in an ice bath and a stream of anhydrous hydrogen chloride gas is gently bubbled through the solution for 2.5 hours while the temperature is maintained near zero degrees centigrade. The solution is then washed with dilute sodium bicarbonate and Water, dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate, and evaporated to dryness under reduced pressure. Crystallization of the residue from acetone-Skellysolve B hexanes yields l-dehydro-da-fluoro-llfl-hydroxyprogesterone.

In a similar manner l-dehydro 6fi-fluoro-lla-hydroxyprogesterone, and l-dehydro-ofl-fiuoro-ll-ketoprogesterone are converted to the corresponding 6ot-fluoro compounds.

It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the exact details of operation or exact compounds shown and described, as obvious modifications and equivalents will be apparent to one skilled in the art, and the invention is therefore to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

We claim: 1. A compound of the formula:

wherein X is selected from the group consisting of the carbonyl radical and the hydroxymethylene radical. :2. 1-dehydro-6-fluoro-1lfi-hydroxyprogesterone. 3. 1-dehydro6a-fluoro-llfi-hydroxyprogesterone. 4. l-dehydro-op-fluoro-llB-hydroxyprogesterone. 5. 1-dehydro-6-fluoro-1lm-hydroxyprogesterone. 6. 1-dehydro-6a-fluoro-1lot-hydroxyprogesterone. 7. 1-dehydro-6 3-fluoro-1la-hydroxyprogesterone. 8. 1-dehydro-6-fluoro-1l-ketoprogesterone. 9. l-dehydro-ou-fluoro-ll-ketoprogesterone. l0. 1-dehydro-6fI-fluoro-1l-ketoprogesterone.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,837,464 Nobile June 3, 1958 2,838,501 Campbell et al. June 10, 1958 2,854,383 Herzog Sept. 30, 1958 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION" Patent No. 3,004,044 October 10, 1961 J Allan Campbell et al.

I It is hereby certified that error appears in -the above numbered patentrequiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as "corrected below.

Column 6, line 10, for "6Bfluorollketoprogesterone" read 613fluorolld-hydroxyprogesterone or 6l3fluoro-llketoprogesterone Signed and sealed this 3rd day of April 1962.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDERE Attesting Officer DAVID L. LADD Commissioner of Patents 

1. A COMPOUND OF THE FORMULA: 